Fountain-pen



(No Model.)

L.. E. WATERMAN. FOUNTAIN PEN.

No. 559,422.` Patented May 5, 1896.

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lJNrrED STATES ATENT trice..

LEYVIS E. VATERMA, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,422, dated May 5,1896.

` Application filed September 27, 1895. Serial No. 563,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.s

Be it known that I, LEWIS E. WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork, have made a new and useful invention in Fountain-Pens, of whichthe following is a specification.

' Myinvention relates to improved means for feeding and regulating thefeed of the ink in fountain-pens-that is to say, of conducting the inkfrom the reservoir to the pen and supplying the proper quantity of airto the reservoir in its place.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a feed-bar that will feed orconduct the ink from the reservoir to the pen through the nozzle in anydesired quantity and without making contact with the inner channel orside of the nozzle, the feed-bar being provided with a closed channel orduct, preferably round and open only at the inner end and under the penon the upper side and at the front. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure lis a part sectional view showing all the parts of the pen in position.Fig. 2 is a part sectional and part side view of the feedbar. Fig. 3 isa part sectional and top view of the same. Fig. 4 is a part sectionalview cut on the line X X, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view cut on theline X X', Fig. 2. Fig. G is a sectional view out on the line Y Y, Fig.3. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail views showing different stages of themanufacture of the feed-bar. Fig. 10 is a top view of the f ront end ofthe fountain-pen with the pen in stage of construction is shown incrosssecbored or otherwise made in supply the place of the ink drawntherefrom by the ssure E. An opening or scarf O is cut in the top of theduct under the pen, as shown at O, Figs. 2 and 6, to give access andcontact of the ink to and with the latter.

Fig. 9 shows the` slit E2 in the upper side of the duct, made by the sawin cutting the capillary iissure E, as closed. This upper fissure orslit E2 may, however, be left open without avoiding my invention; but ifitis left open it will receive ink, which will pass therethrough to theinside of the nozzle and, drying, will not only furnish Obstruction, butassist in grinding out the inside of the nozzle, interfere with theair-flow by drying in the fissure E2, thereby making the ink-owirregular, and be otherwise objectionable. The capillary fissure E maybe made without sawing through the upper side of the duct channel orpassage, as by channeling, but it may be made much easier by sawing, asdescribed, the slit E2 being afterward smoothly filled by cement or somesuitable material. The duct or channel D, I prefer to make round incrosssection, not simply because it can be more easily bored out in thatform, but because air-bubbles, which it is one of its functions toconduct up into the reservoir, thereby facilitating the ink-flow, willpass more readily through a round and unobstructed tubo than through asquare one-that is, with less friction and liability to detention. Theink is conducted to the pen entirely by capillary action, working in andthrough the capillary fissure E, which conducts the ink down to theeXtreme lower end of the feedbar, where the IOO ing O and duct D,filling it from the bottom and up to the opening O in the pen. Thisreservoir, so iilling from the bottom, is fed by the capillary iissureE, which continuing to drav7 the ink from the reservoir R, as the airpasses up through the duct D, fills the secondary reservoir R until theink reaches and stops the opening Oin the pen, when the flow of the inkWill stop automatically. This automatic stoppage of the-ink-flow iscaused by the filling of the aperture or opening O', through which airis supplied to the duet on its Way to the reservoir during the processof the transfer of the ink from the larger to the smaller reservoir,since the opening O is the only opening through which air can get intothe duct D.

Vhen the pen is put in use by contact With the paper, the ink ispresently drawn out and down from the secondary reservoir R' beloW theopening O, thus again opening the inlet to the air, and automaticallyfacilitating the flow of ink to the pen as long as the ink in thesecondary reservoir R does not extend as high as the opening O/; but themoment the penis taken from the paper the capillary fissures E and E',continuing to draw the ink from the reservoir or fountain R and to Iillthe secondary reservoir R from the bottom upward, the IioW of the inkwill be again stopped by the viilling of the air-inlet O, as before, andthe ink will be thereby automatieally retained in the secondaryreservoir R and under the pen in position for immediate use at anymoment. The higher up on the pen the opening O is placed the larger willbe the quantity of ink capable of being held in the secondary reservoir;but the opening O'must vbe so placed as to open a passage through theopening O into the duct D.

It is evident that by regulating the location and size of the openingO', the shape and size of the duct-channel D, the dimensions-n that is,the Width and depth-of the fissure E, the size of the secondaryreservoir R', and even the stiffness of the pen P the flow of the inkmay be controlled and gaged to any required extent and With the greatestdeli' cacy.

It will be perceived that if the slit E2 is left open to receive the inkfrom the reservoir and the ink dust or deposit from the inside surfaceof the nozzle N this Will be likely to hang down here and there inirregular ways, Whether Wet or dry, into the duct-channel or airssupplyduct D, or in the path of bubble movement, and thereby retard or arrestthe air-bubbles on their Way to the reservoir R, and so interfere withthe supply of inl; to the secondary reservoir R an d with the working ofthe pen.

I claim as my inventionl. A feed-bar F provided with the duet or channelD, fissure E, and opening O.

2. A feed-bar F provided With the duet or channel D, fissure E andopening O in combination with the pen l provided with the opening O.

3. 'A feed-bar F provided with the duct or channel D, fissures E and E/and opening O in combination with the pen l provided With the openingO'.

LEWIS E. lVATERMAN.

`lVitnesses: JAMEs AgSKiL'roN,

EDWARD S. BERRALL.

